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The following two bills were passed on May 13, 2009 and will now be sent to Governor Quinn for final approval - at which point they will become law. Both bills were initiatives of the ISVMA and the overwhelming legislative support they received are an indication of the tremendous work done by ISVMA lobbyists and ISVMA members who participated in our grassroots advocacy network.

On May 13, 2009 this ISVMA initiative passed the Illinois State Senate on a vote of 58-0-0. It passed previously in the Illinois House of Representatives on a vote of 109-0-0. The bill will now be sent to the Governor for final approval.

This bill is an ISVMA initiative to clarify and align a series of exemptions related to licensure for the faculty and facilities at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. It passed the Illinois State Senate on May 13, 2009 on a vote of 115-0-0. The bill previously passed in the Illinois State Senate on a vote of 58-0-0.

The ISVMA has additional legislative initiatives that are very close to final passage. For an update on the status of all of the bills that ISVMA has been working on this legislative session, please visit http://capwiz.com/isvma/issues/bills/. Members can link to each bill on this list and read a short description, read the entire bill text, and use the "Take Action Now" link to contact your legislators to communicate your thoughts and position on the bill.

ISVMA Issues Press Release on Canine Distemper

A number of canine distemper cases have been reported in the State of Illinois this spring leading the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) to issue a statewide press release urging dog owners to be certain their animals have been vaccinated.

If an article on canine distemper did not appear in your local newspaper, we encourage you to contact the news editor at your local newspapers and submit the press release again.

Important Survey - Preparing for the Next Veterinary Practice Act

ISVMA is preparing for the next renewal/revision of the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act (Practice Act) and we are looking for your input on any/many issues to be considered.

There are a number of issues that will be considered which affect your ability to practice in Illinois. We will be requesting your opinion and input on some of the most important issues. Our first survey concerns the use of Certified Veterinary Technicians in Illinois.

Please take a few minutes to answer this survey so we can introduce a Practice Act that will keep our profession strong and address the many issues that have emerged since the Act's last renewal.

All ISVMA member veterinarians, CVTs and students are encouraged to answer this survey. We very much appreciate and desire your input!

ISVMA Membership Renewal

ISVMA will be mailing your membership renewal forms early next week. Membership is critical to the continued success of your association! Thank you very much for your continued support.

If you have an veterinarian associate or partner who is not an ISVMA member, we hope that you will encourage them to join this year. Additionally, if you have hired a new veterinarian in the last year or have CVT employees that are not members, we hope that you will sign them up too! All member prospects can fill out the simple membership application form at http://isvmaimpak.networkats.com/members_online/members/newmember.asp or contact the ISVMA offices at (217) 546-8381.

If you are not sure whether a veterinarian in your practice is a member, you can check by using the Find A Veterinarian search form on the ISVMA website.

About the Photo

The Williamson's Sapsucker(Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is a medium-sized woodpecker. Adult males are iridescent black on their head, back, sides and tail. They have a white stripe behind the eye and a lower white stripe across each side of the head, a red chin and a bright yellow belly. They have black wings with large white patches. The female is completely different in appearance: mainly black, with a pale yellow breast, a brownish head with black streaking and fine barring on the back, breast and sides. Originally, the female was considered to be a different species and named the Black-breasted Woodpecker.

This species' breeding habitat is open forested areas, including conifers, in the western part of North America, from British Columbia to northern Mexico. They are permanent residents in some parts of their range; migrating birds form small flocks and may travel as far south as central Mexico.

Williamson's Sapsuckers excavate a new nesting cavity each year, sometimes reusing the same tree. They feed on sap, mainly from conifers, but insects are their main food source during the nesting season and they also eat berries outside of the breeding period.

On breeding territories, they can be very conspicuous because of the drumming they do on resonant trees to establish their territorial boundaries. The species may be declining in some parts of its range due to habitat loss.

I photographed this male Williamson's Sapsucker in Golden, CO in April 2009.

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